Blooming Challenges
II’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Parents, you are going to get frustrated with your kids. But when that happens, find an activity you enjoy and step away. This strategy help you avoid a power struggle, and more importantly, adjusts your perspective. Personally, I like gardening.
We’ve recently been blessed with a lot of rain in our area, so our gardens look great. However, some of the plants need trimming and redirecting. Specifically, I have one bed that gets overgrown with purple-flowered perennials I planted there years ago. I remember being drawn to the flowers because their uniqueness. At the time, I had no clue how challenging the plant would be to take care of.
It’s never understood the concept of personal space. It’s invasive, constantly sending out runners and popping up everywhere. And just when I think it’s settled down, it gets top-heavy and spills onto the walking paths so people can’t pass. You want to know the ironic part? It’s called an obedient plant. Ha!
Some have suggested I dig it up and try a new plant in the area. Of course, I would never do that. The plant might be wild, wayward, and difficult to contain, but I love it. It’s beautiful and brings me great joy. Can you guess where I’m headed with this one?
Let’s face it; parenting is hard. As much as we may want our children to grow and bloom in certain ways, they often do so differently than how we’ve planned. And that is okay. We might regularly get frustrated with our kids, but when all is said and done, the bottom line is we love them – and the joys of having them clearly outweigh all the challenging combined.
